Tag Archives: photography

Should I stay or should I go? Eiffel Tower in Paris. My version at that time.

What is a photograph? How come we are so fascinated by it? These questions come to me over and over again. With the camera we record something three dimensional on some kind of media. Then it comes out in two dimensions. Color or black and white. A black and white version of a reality in color is often a very strong image. When we take the colors away we focus more strongly on the subject in the picture. But, of course it would be all to easy if it were always like that. The moment we press the shutter the picture is part of history, and that part of time will never come back again. Is it perhaps that? We have recorded something that is unique in time. It will never happen again. Sometimes we adjust it. Change contrast, colors or saturation and it becomes more interesting. A good composition helps. But not always. Always is never. Pictures often become more interesting as time goes. They help us to remember. But as they are not always a true document of a person or place they will not help us to remember the truth. But, what is truth anyway? Sorry to confuse you, but I am just so fascinated by it. Please share some thoughts with me if you like. I am sure I will come back to the subject in the future. The future that tends to become past very soon. Often. No, always that is.

Exhibiting is an exciting experience. Time to show your work, images, pictures to others. Perhaps after working hard for a long time in solitude. An ego boost. Personally I create with my heart, my eyes and a gut feeling. I seldom, or never, analyze. If it feels good to me, then it is good. The best thing with exhibiting, or just showing to others, is to listen to what people say about your images. Things perhaps you are not aware of yourself. That happens to me every time, and I just love it. Talking to people and listen to their opinion. What professional critics say I have trouble to understand. Perhaps we are on different ends of the creative rope? Here are three images that I remember especially. What friends told me about these images I had not thought about myself. Not even close.

“Illustration to the standard size of tomatoes in EU”. 8×10″ Polaroid transfer“Illustration to the standard size of tomatoes in EU”. 8×10″ Polaroid transfer

Finally I would like to recommend an ongoing exhibition by Jostein Skeidsvoll at Galleri Axel in Stockholm. Open until 22/3. Adress Södermannagatan 16. Great work by a great person! Go see if you can!

The camera is a mysterious thing. How come most people smile when they see one? They smile though they know they perhaps will never see the picture. Kids and grownups. Celebrities too, until it becomes a threat to their privacy. The camera is powerful. Or should I say the photographer? Some say guns don´t kill, people do. Is it the same with cameras? When you press the button it is all up to you what you like to express. Cameras can be dangerous. The days are long gone when we thought that cameras never lied. But I guess they always have, more or less. Is a b/w image a lie about a colorful reality, or Is it just an artistic freedom to be subjective? Why is it so important to look good on a photograph? Some people will never be pleased with a pictures of them selves. Are they having problems with their self image? The selfie is an interesting phenomenon. It is not a new idea. How much of your inside would you like to show on the outside? Is beauty only skin deep and can the camera see that? Well, just some more thoughts about the, most often, black box, people put in front of their faces. Just like I do. I like that cameras can be very poetic. A good photographer is one that makes peoples inside show on the outside. But all this is just about portrait photography… There are so many other ways to use a camera.

Is there any other tool that can be used in so many various ways as the camera? A pencil?

( The camera I used to photograph these images was however too big and heavy to hold ).

When I studied to become a photographer I learned how rays of light travel through glass and how they reflect on different surfaces. I learned how to use chemicals to develop my films and prints. How a light meter works and that the illustration above was an up to date SLR, Single Lens Reflex, camera. It was, but not so anymore! Today most cameras are small hi-tech computers with a lab attached that focus, recognize faces, expose in difficult lights and they develope your image. Cameras are, however, as they have always been, a lens in one end and a distance to a light sensitive material in the other. Chip or film. So who is a good photographer? What is a good photograph? Well, I am not one to judge or tell you. This will always be up to you. However, whenever you fall in love with the subject in the picture, a cute puppy or a sexy girl, or man of course, perhaps that is not a good photograph. Perhaps. At least give it a thought.

Today photography is not so destructive to our environment like it used to be. That is great! I like that!

Here is an intresting link to an article about the box camera. About what happens when you do NOT fire away exposures, but take your time doing one. The article is written by Stephen Dowling and you will find it on BBC.com. More food for thoughts.

Imagine this. Like, in a movie theater lights go down. You sit yourself comfortably concentrating on the movie. No commercial break! Vibrant colors, still images washing over you. Large screen. Good sound.

There it is. A slideshow.

Adding images changes things. Like, you have one. You have one, only. Two makes a pair. Three a series, and perhaps the start of an exhibition. Adding more could be a film, a video. In between it could be a slideshow. Though there are not many slides these days many still call it slideshow. I have always loved them. Now it´s digital images edited on a computer. But, that is not a big deal, where the pictures come from. This is about pictures working together telling a story. Still images that starts to move, and if all goes well, they will move you too. Just wishing the screen could be bigger more often.

Here´s the story about this slideshow. I was asked to photograph for an album cover. Studios has always fascinated me. All kinds. Music and film, whatever. The atmosphere was vibrating, all musicians preparing, concentrating for the recording. Like athletes before the start. All sitting in different rooms. The sound engineer making final adjustments. I just had to do more with the images than selecting a few for the cover.

I like the finished product also, the music and the cover, but I just loved to be in on the journey to get there.

I am so happy today´s assignment on WordPress brought me back to images and inspiration. This is what I would like my blog to be about. Behind the scenes. How they are made, and thoughts about making them. But technical, not much.

So, I went to work also with todays assignment. Adding 5 topics and following 5 blogs. Since I am new to this, theese blogs are the first that I will follow. I am overwhelmed from all talented and creative people here. They all just have to get it out. IT being so much. So many different things. The topics that I selected are: Art, Life, Thoughts, Photography and Personal. Very intresting!